


Time

by GeminiHalo



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Future Fic, M/M, Past Relationship(s), remembering the past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-07
Updated: 2019-10-07
Packaged: 2020-11-25 18:50:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20916872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GeminiHalo/pseuds/GeminiHalo
Summary: Steven remembers some things on a visit to earth.





	Time

Thinking about the future was terrifying, it was an  _ unknown _ an  _ inevitable  _ thing that always met him as the  _ present.  _

Years that seemed like they were meant for another lifetime were  _ his _ lifetime.

When he was a child he didn't think about  _ time _ . The Gems never spoke about how fast it went by. He didn't know if they avoided the topic or if it had just been irrelevant to them.

They hadn't interacted with humans as his mom did. They suffered loss, but time wasn’t to blame for those. It wasn't until he entered their life did they open up to humans and feel what time took away first hand. 

_ Greg Universe. A father. A musician. Giving. Loving. Best friend. _

He can’t read the words anymore but that’s what it says. He releases the bubble around a bouquet he left before and picks it up. The petals break away from the stem and fall away picked up by the wind and carried into the ocean. The stem cracks and then crumbles into the wind until he's holding nothing.

Steven had cried with him, he stayed by his dad's side. He smiled reassuringly when his dad looked at him one last time. He held onto his father's hand and watched as he joined the universe.

Music plays in his ear as he walks down the hill where his old home was. It’s a song that isn’t playing but he hears it all the same. 

The memories ache and he welcomes them each one as precious as the last.

He looks around at the city that isn't a city anymore. 

It's a snapshot of history, a monument of the past.

He walks over where the boardwalk used to be and gazes at the remnants of the storefronts, crumbling, cracked, erased from history, yet he remembers their names. He walks where the neighborhood once flourished, where his dad once had a business, where he joked and laughed with his friends. He smiles at the memories as they rush over him. 

Years...decades... _ centuries. _

He doesn't  _ know _ how long it’s been.

He doesn't remember everything that he  _ wants _ too. 

Steven sees Lars at the far end of the city.

He reminds Steven of things he’s forgotten. 

He wished at one point that he could give Lars his temporality back. That he could take away the pain and heartache. 

_ "I can't do this to her." Lars starts when he walks over, he's staring at the ocean. He's happier, he bakes freely, laughs confidently, smiles easier but he's wistful at times. _

_ "Lars…" he understands how hard it is. "You should talk to her," Steven says gingerly sitting down next to him.  _

_ "I did...but she doesn't understand. I can't watch her waste years on me."  _

_ "She doesn't feel that way," Steven says knowing it won't change his mind. _

_ "I know," he sighs. "It's for the best though...even if she doesn't know it yet."  _

Steven couldn't see it at the time but years later he  _ understood _ .

_ Connie _ .

_ She’s beautiful. _

_ Strong. _

_ She wants kids, she's in love. He's in love, he wants kids. _

_ He thinks about how long he'll live. _

_ ...he wanted kids… _

_ ...he can't imagine having kids… _

_ ...he can't imagine losing his children... _

_ He can't stay, he loves her and she him.  _

_ But she understands.  _

_ There’s a sad understanding smile as she gives him a kiss on the cheek and leaves to study abroad.  _

_ He hates himself at that moment. _

_ He smiles when she introduces her fiance, he’s there to celebrate when she marries, there when she needs a friend to talk to.  _

_ He holds their baby, stays in contact. _

_ When it's her time he cries but not over her no matter how much he wants to keep her.  _

_ She joins her husband and parents. _

He visits her kids, their kids then he loses track of the next generation. Then the one after that and the one after that.

There’s no one left here now. 

It had felt selfish at one point but now he can admit he is happy to have Lars with him.

He reaches Lars, where the graves are, it’s aged, erased, and there is only broken pieces left. Without knowing what was here it would be impossible to tell.

It's a testament to just how much time has passed.

"She's buried here," Lars says not looking up at him. 

_ His mom. Lars hugs her. Aged by time, withered, but still smiling. So proud of her son. _

_ He's just as pink as the day he breathed anew. Just as alive and vibrant looking but his face is twisted in anguish as tears roll down his cheeks. _

_ "Keep being strong baby, I love you." He holds her, shoulders trembling as he tries to hold back a sob. _

_ "I love you too mom," he says head against her shoulder. She smiles and Steven knows he’ll remember how genuine and beautiful it is forever.  _

_ He stands beside Lars at the funeral. _

_ Steven gives him hugs whenever he asks, listens to him whenever he can. _

He looks just like he did that day. His voice is just the same. His eyes look the same.

But he speaks serenely, he’s patient, he understands the workings of the universe because he’s lived through so much. His eyes are filled with compassion, his posture speaks of hardship, his presence is one of comfort.

Stevens looks over the area. He thinks about all of their friends and families.

He stands beside Lars in contemplative silence. Time passes, but for how long Steven couldn’t say. 

"Reminiscing," Lars finally says when the sun begins to rise.

"Good memories?" Steven asks.

“Yeah,” he says as he finally turns to Steven and looks up at him. 

His eyes show a reflection of who Steven is now. His black hair curled all the way down to his waist, his uniform armored with no-frills still pink, his face is aged but he’s still youthful, and he's taller than his mom was as Rose now. His eyes are kind, yet weary from time and war. 

Half  _ man _ , half  _ gem,  _ not  _ ageless _ but  _ timeless. _

He smiles.

Lars mirrors it warmly and Steven lets that warmth seep into him.

Steven extends his hand and Lars takes hold slotting their fingers together. They slowly walk back, through the remains of their first home, to the ocean that has overtaken the beach. He looks out over the water and thinks about all the fun, happy, meaningful moments they’ve had.

He forms a platform under their feet and lifts them up above the city. The area blends into the landscape as one endless color. When they reach space he forms a bubble around them. He takes one last look down before he guides them to the waiting ship. 

"I'm glad we got to visit again," Lars says when the door closes behind them.

“Me too,” he draws Lars into a hug and holds on for a moment. 

Thinking about the future  _ could  _ be terrifying. It  _ is _ unknown, it  _ is _ inevitable.

But he’s not alone. 

He has his friends, his family, his memories. 

He has _ Lars _ .

Steven holds Lars in his arms and picks him up. He spins around and smiles when Lars laughs against him.

“Come on, let's check the messages, bet Pearl left a few by now,” he sets Lars down. “Race ya!” He calls before running further into the ship.

Lars is already at the controls when he walks in and he smirks at Steven.

“I didn’t say no powers huh?” he asks as he pets Lion sleeping next to the helm.

“No, but you just like to let me win,” Lars teases.

It’s true Steven thinks.


End file.
